The Science Museum in London has officially announced the new Dana Library and Research Centre, opening in late 2015. As envisioned by the Science Museum, the new Centre will provide a “world class environment” for academic research and it will be open to the public as well. Renovation is now underway at the former Dana Centre, which opened in 2003 and provided public events about the latest in science research.

For academic research, the Centre will focus on bringing together the Museums’ library and archive collections, as well as artifacts, through its Research and Public History Department. The facility will be open to the public and include special events aimed at reaching broad audiences.

Edward Rover, Chairman and President of the Dana Foundation said, “We are delighted that the Library and Research Centre preserves the Dana name. We have a longstanding relationship with the Science Museum and the focus of the new facility is in keeping with Dana’s mission and commitment to the importance of scientific inquiry and public education. ”

Using
a data-mining method and fMRI results from eight separate clinical trials
testing pain medicines, Oxford researchers find evidence of consistent patterns
of brain activity. Such a definite pattern might be used before human trials to
choose which new drug to test, or after, to see if it is working in a
particular patient.

Our understanding of the biological mechanisms of schizophrenia risk has steadily evolved over the past few decades, attributable largely to advances in human genetics and to genomic technologies. One of our series of Reports on Progress.

A recent survey suggests that neuromyths are more pervasive
in the educational community than we might think, and this may work against
academic achievement. We investigate some of the most common myths,
explaining their scientific origins and realities. One of our series of briefing papers.

While most cases of dementia may be unavoidable, a great many may be prevented or delayed via simple changes in diet and other habits. In principle, the earlier in life a person starts making these changes, the better the preventive effect would be.

The researchers expect that such investigations ultimately could offer insights into related neuroscientific issues such as the neural origins of hallucinated voices in schizophrenia and the delusional sense of being controlled by someone else.

“As
our understanding of the microbiome grows, we see a new opportunity for new
questions and new understanding of brain disorders ranging from autism and
depression,” says one researcher at the recent Society for Neuroscience annual
meeting. Others agree.

Our constant exposure to over-inflated claims of what technologies like neuroimaging can do are leading to a form of collective false memory in the form of an unreasonable expectation of what the technology can prove. One of our series of Reports on Progress.

Rather than discounting placebo responses as irrelevant noise, we should instead investigate them as predictors of treatment response and as novel therapeutic targets in medication, device, or psychotherapeutic approaches to disease recovery. One of our series of Reports on Progress.

Even though the brain of a fly doesn’t look like our own brain, it appears to follow certain basic principles in how it uses its neurons to control behavior, which may generalize to “higher” organisms, including humans. One of our series of Reports on Progress.

As autism prevalence rises, early behavioral intervention is key, experts say, and insights on brain signaling could lead to new treatments. A report from a Capitol Hill briefing in July. See also links to video of the briefing.

Dana grantee Elizabeth Spelke discusses the future direction of arts and cognition research, and puts into perspective the media attention given to her recently published study on the effects of music classes on math abilities in children. One of our series of Scientist Q & As.

How much should we enhance our brains, how far should we go to treat risky pre-term pregnancies, and when can we morally do research on people having surgery for something else were among the topics at the William Safire Seminar on Neuroethics.

The search for a treatment for Alzheimer's Disease becomes increasingly urgent as global populations grow and age. In this podcast, leading experts from different sections of the research and development pipeline discuss cutting-edge approaches to developing treatments.

Though many “normal” people—students, lawyers, doctors—are taking drugs that may enhance cognitive function, there is little research into how these drugs affect non-disordered brains. A research review suggests that using cognitive-enhancing drugs may have unintended and quite negative consequences, especially in youngsters.

As the behavioral genetics field grows, we must be cautious not to oversimplify the research, warn experts, particularly in studies linking single genes to certain traits. One of our series of Briefing Papers.

Techniques like optogenetics and DREADDs, which control neuronal activity, are revolutionizing our understanding of the central nervous system. Understanding each technique's advantages and disadvantages, and tailoring their use to best address the specific research question under consideration, is key. One of our series of Reports on Progress.

Research published in the past few years suggests that longer years of formal study can strengthen the brain, making it more resistant to the ravages of old age—and perhaps mitigating the damage that occurs after traumatic brain injury.